* * *

Today, the Duke summoned me, saying he had something important to discuss.

It seemed likely he wanted to talk about my formal adoption.

Mila, worried I might say I didn’t want to stay at the ducal estate, was visibly on edge.

Yet, she didn’t say anything to push me in any particular direction.

“Whatever the Duke says, just answer with a resounding ‘Yes!’”

She could’ve said that.

She might’ve even added that I should insist Mila remain my personal maid.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she just kept smiling brightly whenever our eyes met.

‘It wouldn’t be hard to manipulate a twelve-year-old who’s lost all his memories.’

If I were formally adopted, Mila’s position as my maid would naturally improve as well.

Yet, Mila said nothing until the very end, simply guiding me to a large room located at the far end of the first floor.

The room looked like a well-decorated parlor, with plush velvet sofas, an elegant table, and a few paintings adorning the walls.

A set of refreshments had been prepared on the table for tea time.

When I entered, two pairs of red eyes and one pair of green eyes turned to me.

The Duke, Duchess, and Raizen had already arrived.

‘Wow, I hate this already.’

Without realizing it, my head instinctively lowered.

“I… I’m sorry for being late.”

“No, no, it’s fine. We arrived early and were just waiting,” the Duchess said, waving her hand to reassure me.

‘Is she really okay with this?’

Although I felt a little skeptical, pressing the issue wouldn’t be very childlike.

Following Mila’s guidance, I sat in the empty seat across from Raizen.

As I raised my head, I noticed Raizen staring at me, as if he’d been observing me the entire time.

‘This is my chance.’

“Hi, Hyung!”

I beamed at him, grinning ear to ear.

Raizen’s brow twitched.

So, even the future villain was still just a kid at this point.

“Oh my, how adorable,” the Duchess cooed.

To everyone else in the room, it must have looked like a heartwarming scene.

‘Why do I suddenly feel so embarrassed?’

“You two look great together,” the Duchess murmured softly, her eyes reddening slightly.

‘What? We sat next to each other during the last tea time too, didn’t we?’

Oh, right.

That time, I broke a teacup, and the gathering ended prematurely.

I’d been the problem then.

The Duchess dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief and leaned her head gently on the Duke’s shoulder.

The Duke wrapped his arm around her shoulders briefly before letting go, his expression stoic.

Still, was all this sentimentality really necessary?

Sure, Raizen probably wasn’t known for being sociable, but this felt excessive.

‘Maybe that’s part of why they’re so eager to adopt me.’

They were probably concerned about Raizen’s future.

Without social skills, he’d eventually inherit the dukedom, drawing sycophants vying for power.

His good looks would only make it worse, with people going to ridiculous lengths to catch even a glance from him.

The Duke and Duchess likely hoped I could help Raizen form genuine relationships and distinguish between flattery and sincerity.

‘But what am I supposed to do? I need to earn Raizen’s favor too.’

After all, my primary goal was not to get killed by those hands of his.

I smiled even brighter at Raizen, whose expression now resembled someone staring at a talking chair.

‘Should I try again?’

“I missed you, Hyung!”

That was the truth.

I really had missed him—because of the quest, of course.

Thankfully, since I was still a child, the youthful tone of my voice made my declaration somewhat tolerable.

Watching Raizen’s horrified reaction brought a strange sense of satisfaction.

At least… I had now completed two of the required actions.

A waiting maid approached to pour cocoa into my empty teacup.

I didn’t like sweet things, but it seemed my image as a child who did had already been established.

I gave her a polite nod.

“Thank you…”

“There’s no need to be so formal with me.”

“It’s fine,” the Duchess said kindly.

“Understood,” the maid replied with a curtsey before stepping back.

‘Wow… such charisma.’

I had assumed the Duchess was nothing but gentle and kind, but this glimpse of authority was unexpected.

Even the maid’s obedient demeanor spoke to the well-established hierarchy here.

“For now, don’t worry about anything else. Just focus on settling in,” the Duchess said.

“Yes, there’s no need to feel any pressure,” the Duke added, immediately backing her up.

His tone betrayed his doting nature.

After some light conversation, the Duchess’s mood seemed to lift.

She murmured something softly to the Duke, who cleared his throat awkwardly before looking at me.

“The real reason we called you here today… is to make you a proposal.”

Pretending not to know what was coming, I looked at him with wide, curious eyes.

“How would you feel about becoming a part of our family?”

I knew what he meant, but a child who’d lost their memory and forgotten noble etiquette wouldn’t understand such formal phrasing.

So, I just blinked in response.

The Duke hesitated, clearly flustered.

The Duchess, stifling a laugh, kindly explained.

“Sean, would you like to be Raizen’s younger brother?”

Ah, now that made sense.

I answered enthusiastically, as if I’d been waiting for this moment.

“Hyung’s little brother?!”

“Yes, Raizen’s younger brother.”

“I’d love to!”

My eager response brought smiles to the Duke and Duchess’s faces.

However, their expressions weren’t purely joyful—they seemed layered with complicated emotions.

Likely, it was due to matters they couldn’t discuss with a twelve-year-old, such as my parents’ deaths or the circumstances of the Marquis.

“Good. From today onward, we’re family. Understood?”

“Yes!”

‘Sigh… survival is tough.’

∗   ∗   ∗

After agreeing to the adoption, the ducal household grew even livelier.

Occasionally, my relatives caused a stir by barging in, but the Duke and Duchess made sure I was never dragged into their messes.

Their efforts to shield me from those incidents were a stark contrast to my biological parents, who’d always prioritized their own affairs.

It was almost hard to believe that someone raised by these two could turn out to be the future villain.

‘Sure, he’s cursed, but still… he should’ve figured things out by now.’

Not that I cared much about the reasons behind his descent into darkness.

“Wow, Hyung, you’re so smart!”

What mattered most was my survival.

Since my adoption, a few things had changed.

I now had scheduled lessons and spent time playing with Raizen every three days.

These changes also helped me progress in my quests.

[Quest
1. Call Raizen “Big Brother” three times or more: 30/3
2. Spend at least 30 minutes with Raizen: 120/30
3. Hold Raizen’s hand for at least 5 seconds: 0/5
Reward: Access to From Possession to Hero’s main text and Raizen: Bonus Chapter]

Perhaps I’d been a bit too enthusiastic in completing them.

‘Close quest window.’

At my mental command, the quest window vanished.

“Hyung, you’re a genius!”

I beamed even brighter, inching closer to Raizen.

His expression hardened as he solved the problem I’d pretended not to understand.

I shuddered as goosebumps ran down my body.

‘Ugh, this useless, weak body of mine.’

‘It’s still much better than before. Thank goodness.’

‘Getting to this point took some real blood, sweat, and tears.’

Come to think of it, I started being afraid of Raizen the moment I realized he could kill me.

I figured that if I tried to erase that thought from my mind, things might improve.

Surprisingly, it worked.

‘Barely, but still…’

At least Raizen doesn’t see me as a total lunatic anymore.

If he used to treat me like a talking chair, these days, I think he sees me more as a talking small animal.

‘Well… fair enough.’

Even I’d find it weird if someone clung to me like they adored me while trembling like a leaf.

‘Wait, no. Why am I even trying to understand the villain here?’

Shaking my head, I forced a foolish grin onto my face—one I could probably plaster on even if someone woke me up in the middle of the night.

“Thanks, hyung! You cleared up everything I was curious about!”

Not that there was anything to be curious about in the first place.

It was just basic addition and subtraction—the kind they teach in elementary school back in Korea.

I already knew this world’s education system resembled Korea’s because of the novel, but seeing it firsthand left me speechless.

It’s just a novel world, after all.

I could’ve solved it with my eyes closed, but I brought it over as an excuse to talk to him.

The Duke and Duchess seemed eager for me to bond with Raizen, which was probably why they arranged this time.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t very meaningful.

While I did practice hiding how scared I was of him, we didn’t grow any closer.

Raizen looked annoyed at having to spend time with me in the middle of his busy schedule.

Maybe that’s why he’d just sit there quietly, reading a book, radiating an aura that screamed, “Don’t talk to me, or else.”

‘Which is how I ended up resorting to this.’

This should be enough. I reached out to take back the paper he’d worked on.

“…?”

But his hand stayed firmly on the page.

‘This bastard is doing this on purpose.’

“Hyung?”

Raizen’s red eyes stared at me intently.

The oppressive gaze of this budding villain made my spineless body want to start shaking again.

Gritting my teeth, I forced a smile.

‘Just smile. I don’t know why he’s doing this, but smile like your life depends on it.’

Because it does.

* * *